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    Extra $600 in jobless pay offers many a lifeline – but will it be renewed?

    Republicans, including the president, have opposed the additional funds. But their expiration could bring ‘incredible suffering’ Coronavirus – latest US updates Coronavirus – latest global updates People wait in line to get care packages with food donations from the Food Bank for New York City in Brooklyn on 15 May. Photograph: Alba Vigaray/EPA James Phillips […] More

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    America begins to unlock for summer – but is it inviting a disastrous second wave?

    America begins to unlock for summer – but is it inviting a disastrous second wave? Covid-19 deaths are still rising, but there are signs of quarantine fatigue – and experts warn relaxing the rules too soon could have devastating consequences Coronavirus – live US updates Live global updates Folly Beach in South Carolina last weekend. […] More

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    Trump’s Great Disentanglement From China

    Economists like to think of the wreckage caused by stock market downturns, widespread bankruptcies and corporate downsizing as “creative destruction.” As it destroys the old and the dysfunctional, the capitalist system continually spurs innovation, much as a forest fire prepares the ground for new growth. Or so the representatives of the dismal science argue. Donald […] More

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    Central Europe Tiptoes Into the New World After Coronavirus

    Classic textbooks teach us that economic shocks typically hit either the demand or the supply sides of the economy. They usually stem from domestic developments, but sometimes they emerge from abroad. COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has defied this logic and has done so in new ways. For example, one of its distinctive features — one that has been particularly excruciating for policymakers — has been […] More

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    Roosevelt's New Deal offered hope for the desperate. We can do the same now | Eric Rauchway

    A larger proportion of Americans have lost their jobs during this pandemic than at any time since the Great Depression. In the UK, unemployment increased to 2.1 million in April, and economists expect millions more people to become unemployed once the furlough scheme ends. The current, acute crisis in unemployment is likely to become a […] More

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    US economy risks 'permanent damage' from long lockdowns, Mnuchin warns

    The US economy risks “permanent damage” if coronavirus lockdowns continue for months, the treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, has warned Congress. Mnuchin’s comments came in a joint appearance before the Senate banking committee with Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve. Appearing via video link, the pair offered a stark assessment of the fragile state […] More

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    Vladimir Putin Keeps a Tight Grip on Power

    Since the beginning of 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s popularity has dropped to its lowest point in 14 years. From February to March, Putin’s favorability dropped from 69% to 63%, and his disapproval ratings rose from 30% to 36%. While the Russian president continues to have a net favorability among his citizens, the declining numbers […] More

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    Saudi Geopolitics Amid COVID-19 and the Oil Crisis

    With West Texas Intermediate futures trading in negative territory for the first time in history, it seemed the market had finally come to terms with what experts had long warned: The world is running out of oil storage. With human movement restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic, aviation grounded and the global economy halted, demand […] More